Chap 9-First Day at the Academy 4

 

“Hmm, I see. I am Gustav, an instructor in the swordsmanship department. I know about Princess Arietta’s situation, so I won’t nag you about why you haven’t been showing up. But I want to say one thing.”

Gustav looked back and forth between me and the princess, then continued in an icy voice.

“It might be somewhat boring or difficult for women. Especially Princess Arietta, I don’t think she’ll be able to endure it.”

Ah, so he knows about our circumstances.

To put it simply, he’s saying it would be better to quit the swordsmanship department now to avoid hardship.

He’s trying to dissuade us as nicely as possible.

Of course, that would be better to protect Arietta.

“It’s alright. Moreover, the princess should definitely do it. Lions are raised by pushing them off cliffs, aren’t they?”

Arietta is glaring at me so fiercely.

I feel like she’s going to pierce through me.

I tried to calm the princess and gave Gustav a bright smile.

“Hmm, in that case, I suppose it’s fine. Anyway, even if we do have classes, we’ll only be swinging swords for a while.”

So, he’s going to make sure we have the basics.

The kingdom’s knight commander had also done that kind of training.

The class proceeded as Gustav had said.

It was practice swinging swords.

I was wondering if just swinging swords was like freeloading.

“Is the sword getting heavier?”

There are different types of practice swords that the students use.

Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3.

The ones with weights attached are probably meant to gradually increase the weight of the sword as we progress, to build up our basic stamina.

There were even small pieces of Mana stones attached to the handles of each sword.

It seemed like numbers were being engraved on them each time we swung.

It’s suitable for young ladies who dislike exercise.

“Instructor. How long do we have to do this?”

While the students were swinging their swords in neat rows, like soldiers training, one young lady asked, panting.

I was wondering the same thing.

Arietta next to me is already half dead.

She’s enduring it somehow, probably because of her pride as a member of the royal family.

“Are you alright?”

“Bathory. Do I—huh—do I actually look… huh… okay to you?”

“Please, either speak or pant, do one or the other.”

“Ugh!”

She seemed to have a lot to say, but she gritted her teeth and started swinging her sword again.

She definitely won’t live long at this rate.

It’s a miracle she’s survived this long.

It seems better to build up some strength, even a little.

“Until the end of class. The number of repetitions will be reflected in your grade.”

I see, not difficult.

But.

“Huh, I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Look who it is, slumming it in a place like this.”

I became very displeased when I saw that large figure standing there.

Right. Ailia’s subordinate, the guy I subdued.

“How dare a Baron Family say such a thing to me, the heir of a Marquis Family?”

I wondered why he was so high and mighty.

He hasn’t been beaten enough yet.

He’s the type to act up just because he has status.

You can see this type a lot among nobles.

Typical nobles. Even the nobles who traded with us in the underworld always looked down on us, even though they were doing dirty things themselves.

Then I should humiliate him a little.

“Alright. Which Marquis Family are you from?”

“I am the heir of Edenberun, who rules the southern territories of the empire. I am from that family-”

“Ah, I don’t care about your name. I know Edenberun.”

I know that family.

There isn’t a single imperial noble who isn’t under my thumb anyway.

The nobles have their pride, so they only keep it quiet on the surface.

If it’s Edenberun, they won’t be able to say anything even if I cause some trouble.

Even if telling me to leave the faction is crossing the line, I can still give a good lesson to a guy who goes crazy whenever Ailia’s name is mentioned.

So.

“Let’s fight.”

“What?”

“I’ll see how strong the son of a Marquis Family is, so come at me.”

Come at me if you’re unhappy.

The idiot finally came to his senses.

He probably didn’t expect a Baron Family’s daughter to come out like this.

He was going to suppress the Batory Family with status and family, or so he seemed to say.

No way.

Because I’m going to fight you.

I’m glad that my gender has changed in situations like this.

A Marquis Family’s son losing to a Baron Family’s daughter.

It would be a sight to see.

“Me, fight a Baron Family’s daughter.”

“Why are you talking so much? What do you think you’ll become if you only talk without any skill?”

I immediately provoked him.

So that he would respond to the provocation and make a big fuss.

So that the people around him would show disgusted faces.

“What did you say?”

“If you’re scared, why don’t you crawl into a corner instead of making pathetic provocations? Don’t disgrace your master.”

“Why is Princess Ailia coming up here!”

I circled around the Edenberun pig.

I smiled faintly, twisting my lips as if mocking him one by one, and laughed eerily.

Whatever he does, that Allician or whatever is nothing to me either.

I’m driving the nail in here.

A nail that is hard to accept for Ailia’s close aide, her loyalist.

“Ailia. Ailia. Why, does that Ailia spread her legs for you?”

“Vulgar wench! I will personally punish you for insulting the royal family!”

He finally lost his reason.

This idiot didn’t resist even though he knew the difference in strength.

“I never said Princess Ailia. Don’t you know that the name Ailia is common?”

This is true.

The hero said that the ace in the brothel he visited in the past was named Ailia. He was surprised because her name was the same as the imperial princess.

“You! Playing with words!”

“Is that how dirty the Marquis Family’s mouth is?”

I did provoke him a bit. Pathetic.

“What are you fighting about so loudly?”

“Ah, Professor. This heir of the Egebeulim Marquis Family says he wants to fight me.”

I deliberately said the family name differently.

Nobles tend to get excited about things like this.

They cultivate more self-control than anyone else, possess more dignity than anyone else, and show a more sophisticated appearance than anyone else, wearing a mask of pretense.

But it’s all for their family.

Of course, they get angry when their family is insulted in every way.

Even among nobles, they cannot openly criticize each other’s families.

Of course, it goes without saying that a commoner whose neck can be cut off if a noble so desires.

But I can do it.

Why? Because they’re under my thumb.

“Hoh, really?”

“That is.”

“Surely you’re not trying to have a faction fight in my class. A year ago, the 1st and 2nd princes were fighting among themselves, and I scolded them.”

This isn’t the first time this has happened.

Then I should put the blame entirely on him.

“There’s no way that would happen. This young lady Batory insulted our family and the princess! Even if there are Schperen’s rules, shouldn’t unilateral insults be punished enough?”

“Is that true?”

“I didn’t insult them. It’s just that I’m just an honorary noble lady with only a symbol, so I didn’t know the name of the Eden Bully Family and the princess’s noble name. I’m wronged.”

How much acting have I done to rob noble houses?

I’ve played the role of a newly hired butler.

I’ve played the role of a maid. I’ve pretended to be a friend of a noble lady.

In the process, my acting skills are good enough to beat even the royal family wearing masks on their faces.

“So I’ve heard.”

“That’s not it, Professor! That woman!”

“But if you come out like that, I have no choice but to be your punching bag.”

I just smiled bitterly.

As if I was going to take a beating from a man who was harassing a noble lady for making a mistake.

“Where did you learn such pretense.”

“Are you alright with this?”

“Yes. Isn’t it my fault for making a light remark that doesn’t fit my status as a noble, even though I am a noble? Of course, I intend to take responsibility.”

I’ll take responsibility for making you angry by treating you too harshly and let you vent your anger.

This is enough to get me marked.

Before that.

First of all, Princess Arietta, who seems very worried, comes first.

“The Edenberun Marquis Family is a famous family of swordsmanship and spearmanship. Will you be able to do it? The swordsmanship department is originally a subject that deals with all close combat weapons. It’s a problem if you think it only deals with swords. Can you fight?”

“Our Batory Family is a famous family that specializes in beating people up. Princess, why don’t you just watch while eating this or something.”

I gave Arietta the star candy I had secretly taken from her room as a favor.

“That was in my room.”

“What’s the princess’s is mine, and what’s mine is mine. I’m just telling you to watch comfortably.”

I never lose.

In many ways, he’s the only one who will get hurt.

Heir of the Edenberun Marquis Family.

I wonder if he can swing a sword well, befitting his status as an heir.

That’s how nobles usually are. If you enter a certain academy or department, you’ve already learned the secrets of your family.

If not, you’ve learned from your father or a separate teacher.

He’s probably one of those types.

He’s learnt in advance and even caught Magical Creatures.

Adventurers have to do it too, but at Schperen, those guys just trample on other students so they can’t catch up.

“Good. There’s a barrier in place anyway, so it’s a good opportunity to see the skills of two students who applied to the swordsmanship department.”

“It’s okay. A man can show off. I’m a pretty benevolent person, so I can acknowledge it. Of course. His favorite woman is being insulted, so he has no choice but to get angry. Yes, that’s right.”

He was relentless until the end.

I’m going to make him lose his reason and make the wrong choice.

That’s what I’m going to do.

“How far are you going to insult me!”

“So come at me. I’ll go easy on you too.”

Gustav made an arena for us.

The hamsters who were practicing swinging swords were happy to have a break after a long time, and they all moved away from the center of the arena where the duel would take place without any complaints.

And I.

I stood facing this idiot Marquis Family’s son.

I’m going to socially crush someone from the first day.

“Alright, then it’s until one of you gives up.”

“Yes.”

Even though we started, he couldn’t rush in easily.

He’s a martial artist.

Since he’s a noble, he must have learned properly. At least, if he’s a proper martial artist, he should know the difference between me and himself.

He’s probably come to his senses now.

But he can’t put his sword away now.

Because of the situation I’ve created, he can’t put his sword away.

He tried to suppress me with the power of his family, but conversely, he can’t put his sword down in the situation I’ve created because of that.

If he puts it down?

The moment it happens, he’ll be insulted from all sides—‘So that’s the heir to a Marquis Family?’ People will say all sorts of things

“So, come on quickly.”

I smiled faintly as I watched the Marquis Family’s son’s shoulders tremble.

Alright, let’s start. Our game.